


Crisp Leaves

by MarvelousMenagerie (HiddenOne)



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Autumn, Dogs, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-29 17:57:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21414286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenOne/pseuds/MarvelousMenagerie
Summary: Bucky & Tony find an abandoned dog on the side of the road
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Comments: 12
Kudos: 197
Collections: Tony Stark Flash Bingo





	Crisp Leaves

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [MoodBoard](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/534376) by Trashcanakin. 

> Written for the Tony Stark Flash Bingo, 002 - crisp leaves

“Stop the car!”

Tony slammed on the brakes. He didn’t bother pulling off to the shoulder of the road - there was little enough traffic that Tony doubted anyone would drive by to be inconvenienced by him being stopped in the middle of the road. Besides which, there really wasn’t much of a shoulder on this road. It was only paved because Tony had funded the project so he didn’t damage his sports cars. 

Bucky didn’t care whether the road was paved or not. Before the car was fully stopped, Bucky had opened the door and fallen out, rolling to his feet. 

Tony cursed up a storm as he stopped and parked the car, watching Bucky race back the way they’d come along the road. Tony got out of the car and followed, jogging, as he watched the trees for any signs of an impending fight. 

This was supposed to be a vacation, where Tony took Bucky out of the city for some fresh air and open spaces. Bucky may have grown up a city boy, but he’d gotten used to open skies and quiet spaces when he’d been on his own post-Hydra. Bucky had been itching to get away and Tony had a cabin upstate, and so they’d left the city behind. 

Autumn was the perfect time, too. Even Tony thought the trees were worth leaving behind his technology hub for, when the leaves had all turned their reds and oranges and yellows. 

But now Bucky was sliding into the ditch and Tony was following after him. Only the top layer of leaves on the ground were pretty and crisp. Underneath were wet, dirty leaves and cold mud - not what Tony had in mind when he dressed that morning. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Bucky said softly as he slowed down his approach. 

Now Tony could see why Bucky had called out for him to stop the car, and why they’d abandoned said car on the road. 

There was a dog in the ditch, half-covered in more leaves. The dog whined as Bucky came closer, its eyes big and round while its tail tried to wag. It was impossible to tell if the dog was actually black, or if it was all dirt. 

Tony’s heart ached.

“It’s okay. We’re going to help you,” Bucky soothed as he knelt and held out a hand for the dog to sniff. 

Tony crouched next to Bucky, letting the dog sniff Tony’s hand as well. The dog licked his fingers.

“Hi there, beautiful. What’s got you all the way out here?” Tony asked softly. 

“Nose is cold. She’s been out here for awhile,” Bucky commented as he brushed the leaves off the dog. “Just scratches so far, nothing too deep.” He ran his hands over her legs. “Don’t feel anything broken.”

“JARVIS, scan for injuries, and see if there’s a chip or something.”

Bucky set his jaw. “Fur is matted down more on the neck. Would bet there was a collar sometime.”

But no collar now. An accidental runaway, or an abandoned pet? She couldn’t have been on her own too long, not if she still wagged her tail when she saw people. 

Tony clapped Bucky on the shoulder, agreeing with Bucky’s anger.

JARVIS’ scans came back clean, no injuries and no chip. They were free to move her, and the cabin was much closer than any vet would be. If it was dehydration and maybe starvation they were dealing with, then they could get her comfortable at the cabin for awhile before driving out to a vet. 

“You pick her up, and I’ll bring the car back around. We’ll get her fed and washed up at the cabin and figure out where to go from there,” Tony directed. 

“She’s going to get your leather interior all dirty,” Bucky teased Tony even as he inched his arms underneath the dog’s body. “Let’s go, girl. You’re going to get the sweetest ride of your life, you’re going to love it.”

Tony snorted. “Not the worst thing we’ve done to the backseat.”

Still, he felt bad for the car. Tony stood and brushed the dirt and leaves from his own clothes the best he could. 

Bucky grinned. “Think those types of activities are on pause this weekend, now that we’ve got a guest.”

Tony faked a grumble before heading for the car. Tony reversed back to where Bucky was carefully making his way out of the ditch, the dog cradled gently in his hands. Bucky sat in the backseat, holding her across his lap rather than setting her down. 

Tony rolled his eyes, but started toward the cabin. 

“You’ve known her for all of a minute and you already love her more than me,” Tony sighed. 

“Don’t worry, doll,” Bucky said, but he was definitely talking to the dog as he ran a gentle hand down her neck. “You’ll be his favorite. He’s going to spoil you rotten and let you slobber over everything he owns. He might even kick me out of bed if it doesn’t fit all of us. How does that sound?”

The dog’s tail thumped against the seat, her eyes staring adoringly up at Bucky. 

Tony could relate. 


End file.
